Mecha Building

2546 Spruce Street/ unknown architect/ Googie style/ built 1971

This Googie-style building is included in the MCM tour because it is currently under review for demolition. Googie architecture represents an era when automobile use became widespread and buildings were designed to accommodate this car culture, including drive-in theaters, restaurants, liquor stores, and coffee shops. They were often highly geometric, expressive, and attention grabbing.

The dramatic feature of this building is its upward sloping roof with strong rafters supporting a large overhang. This property occupies part of a large, proposed development that includes the entire block along Spruce Street. The current plan requires this building to be torn down and the rafters salvaged. The Landmarks Board will decide if the building should be protected as a landmark.

Status: The proposal requires Site Review, which allows the city to have more influence in shaping a project to better align with its goals than a by-right development. Typically, one of these goals is historic preservation. In this case, unlike Site Reviewed projects in the past, the city appears to favor housing over historic preservation. However, the review process is not complete, so it is not known if the city will permit demolition.